Waltrip Going Home again.....

[Matt]

bumped out of the field by David Reutimann with one driver left to qualify. How much longer will NAPA hang on?

[falcon325]

Mikey has shown up every week and was 20th fastest in qualifying.  And, with all due respect to the "Said-heads," Boris hasn't.  Boris is in and Mikey is going home. 

I've got to say Matt, I support locking in starting spots for a certain number of those teams that show up every week.  But this "top 35 lock-in" deal needs to be looked at.

I'm going up to NAPA today to pick up some stuff.  There are a couple of other auto parts places closer, but I'm going to NAPA to support Mikey.

[The Voice]

The 20th fastest car in the field was sent home.

Something isn't quite right about that deal.

[Chris]

yeah... but all y'all go back just a few years...

ALL these teams with the big $$ sponsors, and full time rides were ALL FOR THIS at the time.
Gotta watch what you wish for... it can come back to bite you in the ass...
No one for saw the day when we'd have 50+ cars showing up every week, and this would be happening.
Some of us said all along it should always be strictly on speed,...
or at least the top 37 or 38 on speed with just a FEW provisionals for those that were the TOP in points that didn't make it in on speed.  (in other words they should have left it alone and never changed it in the first place)

They were all FOR it as long as they were the "haves"... now that they are the "have nots"... it's a whole 'nother story.
Hard for me to feel any sympaty for them when the WHOLE reason the rule came into being in the first place was to penalize the 'little' guy to start with.  I'm all for guys like  Said, Fellows, and any other part timer that can come in and beat the "big teams" at their own game.  More power to them.

[Apache Racing]

I'm all for guys like  Said, Fellows, and any other part timer that can come in and beat the "big teams" at their own game.  More power to them.

I agree Completly, under the current rules.
That being said I personally would like to see the old qualifying rues back though...
Let the times determine the racers!

Duck

[Chris]

Oh yeah... this "top 35" stuff should of never happened.... it's all about "trying to protect someone"
kinda the same thing with this lawsuit with ATT / NASCAR
All about some sort of protection....
Main thing is it was a 'knee-jerk reaction to a 'problem' that didn't need fixed.

If they'd of just left it alone and said "Boys,.. you got out run... need to go home and work on your stuff" that would of been that,.. then  we wouldn't be where we are now.
And what's NASCAR tell teams now... "Boys,.. you got out run... need to go home and work on your stuff"
Only thing is you do NOT have the fastest cars in the field week in and week out.

For example it you did it the "old way and took the top 37 on speed... you'd have this down toward the bottom of the qualifying lineup...
Waltrip, Blaney, Vickers and Allmendinger would be higher up in the field....

33 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target 189.223 50.607 -0.750
34 21 Ken Schrader Ford Little Debbie  189.115 50.636 -0.779
35 09 Mike Wallace Chevrolet Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts  188.999 50.667 -0.810
33 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW  188.935 50.684 -0.827
37 18 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet Interstate Batteries  188.872 50.701 -0.844

THESE drivers would MISS on speed and would get in on their standings in the points.
38 Burton
39 Stewart
40 Bowyer
41 Harvick
42 Earnhardt Jr (notice he JUST got in the field)
43 Jarrett (champ Pro)

MISSING the field would be
Nemechek
Green
Labonte
Truex
R. Gordon
Sadler

SO now that the cow is out of the barm... SOME major teams are gonna mis the field... at least the OLD way,.. the FASTEST cars get rewarded for being FASTEST,.. and it ALSO does away with the top 35 teams using the first practice session to work on race set-ups and getting a head start on the 'go or go home' teams.

[KurtBuschFan]

We can sit here and talk what if's but for now we're stuck with that stupid Top 35.  Believe me...I'd love to see it go back to the way it used to be, but I have a feeling that as long as Brian France is in control we'll see it stay.

[Chris]

OH I agree KBF..
I just wanted to research.. and then post...
How much different the line up would be the old way vs the new way.

You see either way some major teams are going home.
My whole point was this.  NASCAR's knee-jerk reaction only delayed the inevitable.  They are STILL in the same position they were in back several years ago.  Might as well just left it alone back then... but then NASCAR likes to 'pick and choose' and 'play favorites'.
When they learn to just let driver ability, and hard work determine who wins and loses... then they'll be a lot better off.

I don't think this "francising" idea is any good either.... Then they'll just have 43 teams show up every week and the same guys.  What about teams that want to race, and sponsors that want to get involved.  They are locked out.  Francising is totally AGAINST what NASCAR is all about.  For years we have heard "we want the sport to grow, more teams, competition open to everyone, we want the "very best" to be able to come and race.
If francising comes into being... it'll be a "good ol boys" network, and if you are on the outside looking in,.. then it'll always be that way.

AT least in Golf, or Bowling etc... (which this more closely compares to) a group of individuals (in this case individual teams)where there is only one winner every week.... They have a qualifying school every year.
X number get locked in from the previous year. (the top in points, wins, etc)
Then EVERYONE that wants to compete as a "regular" on the particular tour the following year has to compete and EARN a spot.  IN racing the only fair way to do that would be to have a series of races (comparison wise) and if they locked in 25 from the previous year,.. then there would be 18 spots open for teams to compete for in the "off-season".
The best 18 teams would get a spot. 

Frankly I don't see how they would have time to do all this... so that being the case,.. the only FAIR way is to keep it open to everyone.  Francising is just another in a line of NASCAR knee-jerk reactions that is wrong.
THE ONLY thing it will do is put money into the Fances pockets, because there will probably be some astronomically high francising fee the teams have to pay for each car.
THAT being the case.  I'd say thats what IS gonna happen.  Not because it's whats BEST for the sport,.. but because it lines the France's pockets.

[PlanoHarvickFan]

I'm just wondering how long it will be until some of these major sponsors (like NAPA) are going to put up with this and pressure NASCAR enough to expand the field a little...maybe to 50?  Maybe that is an unrealistic thought on my part, but I hate to see someone go home who has tried so hard to qualify.

[Chris]

Plano,..
I don't think we'll see that.  Problem is more of 'space'
At mant tracks the last couple qualifiers have to share pit stall now.  Remember last season when Johnson had to share a pit stall with someone else.  He was close to leading the points but qualified last, so he and another guy had to share a pit stall.
If we expanded the field to 48 (lets say) then that would be done at more and more tracks.
and also it would be not only for the "last" two cars,... but it would expand to the last 7 or 8 teams.
IMO I think thats something they would try an avoid if possible

Of course at this point.  I'm sure MANY teams would be GLAD to share a pit spot as long as they got to race.

Then you get into another ball of wax... Where is the extra purse gonna come from to pay the extra money for that extra 5 spots.  Knowing NASCAR they aren't just going to dip into their pocket and pay it themselves.  A "low" paying race like last week at Phoenix paid about $62,000 to the last place team.  AT the point the fund don't drop off much.  Lets just assume the last 5 teams got an average of $60,000 per team.  That's an additional $300,000 in purse just for that one race.
At Daytona last place paid around $250,000... so that for an additional 5 team is $1.25 million
Figure these numbers over the course of 36 races... NASCAR will not dip into their cheap little pockets to foot the bill for that.
I just can't see it happening.....

[racin_girl72]

When I was looking at how qualifying was going online I thought Mikey was gonna make it.  I agree it is a real shame when the 20th fastest car is being sent packing.  Poor Mikey is always getting hosed by one of his teammates/employees.  Maybe he'll have better luck next week since DJ is out of PCPs now.

[Chris]

hhuummm
could be Mikey knows out DJ,... or they both get sent home.


HOWEVER if DJ can make the field on speed anywhere it's on the short tracks.

[Matt]

In 1973 NASCAR decided to expand the field to 60 cars for the May Talladega race. That didn't work out too well. There was a 21 car wreck on lap on the tenth lap that led to some serious injuries. His injuries and the loss of a brand new car (which he had  to make payments on for the rest of his life) effectively ended the career of Wendell Scott.

[SMOKEN14]

qualifying at local tracks is based on speed I think nascar should take the fastest 42 cars and the highest previous champion if there not in the top 42. if  Dale jr Kasey Khane or some other driver misses the race OH WELL they should of tried harder

[south jersey girl]

You also have to take into consideration that the cars locked into the top 35 are qualifying in a race setup as opposed to a qualifying setup.  If Jr, Jeff Burton or Tony had to have qualified on speed, I'm pretty sure they would have run faster qualifying laps than they did...